


A Long Way Home

by CuddleMeister



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Established Relationship, Fire Emblem: Awakening Spoilers, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Homesickness, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, New Year's Fluff, mentioned minor character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-28 16:52:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17186768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuddleMeister/pseuds/CuddleMeister
Summary: With the winter festival coming to a close, Castle Askr hosts a feast for the Heroes. Can a plate of food cure Chrom's homesickness, however? Or will he need something a bit moretactical?





	A Long Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> In which the author has way too much fun describing the architectural beauty of Castle Askr during the winter festival while pretending to write a cheesy one-shot of one of her favorite couples.  
> In which the author was also simultaneously tipsy and sleepy whilst editing this.  
> Please enjoy.

Castle Askr's great hall was normally scarce in decor. It, with its towering walls and lofty ceiling, reminded many Heroes of their first moments in Askr. Memories would rush to mind of bursting forth from Kiran's Breidablik and suddenly finding oneself standing at the summoning stone's altar, insignificant and blinded before the stone's great tree carving. One's eye would later catch that same elegant tree design etched into the stone of the great hall's southern wall and could almost feel the wind that whipped across their face, that momentarily blurred their vision from that summoning stone until they turned to see the hooded figure that had brought them here. Some of the Heroes had brandished their weapons at her in defense, while others simply asked her where they were, but one way or another, they all came to know her as Summoner, and one way or another, they all were brought to the castle and to the great hall, where they could eat and restore their strength, no matter what they had been doing prior.  
  
Tonight, the great hall was decked in bright hues, eye-popping from ceiling to floor, with rich silk ribbons draped like garland between innumerable pillars, lush holly and hemlock arranged atop each dining table as centerpieces with fresh berries and pine cones for garnish, and scatters of small colored embers that a group of mages kindly hexed to keep perpetually burning as they hovered inches from the great hall's tree mural and created makeshift lights on the etching's branches. These were but a few of the gallant embellishments that graced the mammoth room, and they contrasted with the hall's stark marble and sandstone structures to give the illusion of snow. Few could argue that the great hall was truly a sight to behold during the winter festival, especially in the midst of a feast.

Chrom, however, was one of the exceptions.

The Ylissean prince sat hunched over one of the dining tables, slowly nursing a plate of cooling food and pretending not to notice whenever Lissa stole a piece of meat and replaced it with some candied fruit or a bite of tart. 

"What are you doing, Lissa?" he had already asked her. Lissa's brow had knit as she continued pushing plates of cake toward her brother.

"You need more sweets. Something's been bothering you lately, and what better way to feel better than to have some sugar?"

"I'm _fine_. Nothing is bothering me. Besides, look how much food I haven't eaten yet." Chrom had waved a hand to indicate his plate, piled high with rotisserie fowl, roasted vegetables, and breads. "How could I possibly have room for all of that dessert?" 

Lissa's lips pursed. "You know what? I'll help you eat what's on your plate so you have more room for cake. It's a bold sacrifice, but one I'm willing to make for my sweet brother. You can thank me once you feel better."

Chrom huffed and turned his attention to the expanse of the great hall, trying to catch the attention of any server who was willing to bring him a drink. Lissa was undeterred by her brother's actions and kept her unselfish fingers moving, slowly turning Chrom's plate of food into a bakery's sample dish. Soon Chrom had received his drink, and a few deep gulps of the stuff did well to fill his chest with a temporary warmth, but it did little for his nerves.

The prince's gaze fixed on the great tree mural and found one of the brightly-colored flames floating against it, watching how it flickered and danced in the distance. Lissa was right, as much as it irritated him to admit it - his thoughts had been troubled as of late. With the new winter had come new Heroes to join the feast, new challenges of which most were no match for him, and new kingdoms that threatened the peace in Askr. One long year had Chrom spent in this foreign realm, and therefore one long year had he been separated from his people in Ylisstol.

He missed his home, not in the same way that he missed it whenever he would set out for Plegia or Ferox, but in the same way he had missed Emmeryn. He would think of his sister, would spend countless nights dreaming of when she smiled at him and fell to her death, would yearn for her and beg the gods for some sort of divine intervention, but alas, the realm of the dead and the realm of the living were never meant to touch, and it was a thought that hurt _so much_ to realize. Yes, eventually the Shepherds found her miraculously alive and accepted her into their ranks, and yes, she no longer knew her younger brother, but she was still someone he vowed to protect. She was now far away, however, and so were the rest of the Shepherds who had yet to be summoned as Heroes. But until Askr was safe from harm, he knew he would not be able to return home.

A hand on his back brought Chrom from his thoughts, and he turned his head to see a familiar smile.

"Good evening, Kiran," he greeted the summoner as she settled next to him on the bench. She wore a red tunic in place of her usual blue one, and it certainly popped against her white coat. Then again, the red festival outfit Chrom was wearing seemed even more gaudy, so who was he to judge?

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Kiran said, then gestured beneath the prince with a curious quirk of her brow. "I'm all for everyone eating what they like during the feast, but you don't seem the type to stress eat."

Chrom looked down at his plate to see it completely bare of any nutritional substance, replaced instead with pastries, cakes, and biscuits galore. Lissa was long gone from his side, now busying herself in the distance with fawning over Ephraim and Eirika's winter festival attire. 

"T-This," Chrom attempted, "...isn't my doing." Kiran smiled, and giggled.

"There's nothing wrong with living a little, though. It's almost the new year, after all." Chrom nodded stiffly, which sobered her smile. "Look, I know you have some things on your mind, but I might know a way to help cheer you up. Go to the library wing once you've finished eating. Robin is there right now, and he was talking to me earlier about something he thought you'd like."

"Has Robin already eaten?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, silly, he has. He ate early so he could retire and study in peace tonight." Kiran gestured with her hands as though she were shoveling food from a bowl to her mouth. "You, on the other hand, have a _lot on your plate_ , if you catch my drift."

And with that, Kiran stood from the bench, not giving Chrom enough time to roll his eyes at her pun, and moved to check in with a group of Lycian Heroes. He eyed his plate of desserts with a curdled expression, but began picking away at it, regardless. Lissa had eaten almost all of his main dish for him, so he might as well at least humor her efforts. 

About halfway through his sweets, Chrom suddenly stopped eating as his stomach threatened retaliation otherwise. He stood from his seat and went to find his sister so he could offer the rest to her. Lissa pouted at first, disappointed that her brother hadn't reciprocated her sacrifice, but took the plate anyway, much to Chrom's amusement. He knew she couldn't resist, no matter what favors she may have done for him.

Finally, empty-handed and hankering to burn off some of the sugar in his stomach, Chrom set off for the library wing after catching Kiran one last time and giving her a parting wave. She didn't wave back - only bid him good night with a wink - for which the prince was grateful. Had she drawn unnecessary attention to his departure, he feared someone like Frederick might notice and join him on his walk. Thankfully, Frederick was preoccupied with delegating the serving team's activities for the night, so he was none the wiser when Chrom slipped into the castle corridors.

The light quickly grew dark as Chrom walked. In fact, the halls were nearly abandoned, save for a few individuals who were on patrol. He supposed that nearly every one of the Heroes was attending the feast tonight, which didn't bother him in the slightest.

Stepping outside, a chilly blast seized Chrom's lungs. He was barely dressed to be outdoors, but he knew he could manage for a bit. As the prince passed along a lengthy parapet that separated the library wing, a hooded figure came into view. Chrom smirked as he approached him. The bright red and white trim of his coat could not have made him stand out more, and yet he seemed cozily tucked in one corner, a large piece of parchment huddled on his crossed legs.

"My dearest tactician!" Chrom greeted him in a booming voice that startled the hood right off of the tactician's head, "I do believe it is frowned upon to remove charts from the library without special permission."

Robin brought a mitten-covered finger to his grinning lips. "Keep you voice down. I'll return it as soon as I'm finished with it, which...might as well be now, since you're here."

"Oh, don't mind me," Chrom said, settling next to Robin on the stone floor and draping an arm over his shoulders. "I'd hate to interrupt your _fascinating_ staring contest with..." Chrom craned his neck and narrowed his eyes to see what sort of illustrations the chart showed, but the light was too dull to make out much of anything. "Terrain...maps?"

Robin chuckled and began folding the chart to be carefully tucked into his coat. "As it turns out, you're actually right. This is a topographic guide to Nifl's mountains. I'd much rather study you than some old parchment, however."

The words brought a smile to Chrom's lips as he kissed Robin's brow. The warmth of the tactician's closeness felt so welcome in the bitter cold surrounding them. _Speaking of which..._ "What's a soul like you doing sitting outside in the winter darkness like this, anyway? Kiran told me you'd be in the library this evening."

"I was. It was so quiet and comfortable in there, since almost everyone else is still attending the feast, that I started to feel sleepy. I took a step outside to get some fresh air and...got caught up in the chart."

Chrom nuzzled Robin's alabaster hair with his nose as he spoke, taking in his scent. "Are you going to go back to the library now that you've gotten your fresh air?"

Robin was silent for a moment, and the prince was about to repeat his question until Robin's gloved hand reached out to clasp the free one Chrom had rested in his lap. Robin's thumb drew circles on the back of Chrom's palm as he spoke, "Perhaps not. I know the feast will still be under way for another few hours. Maybe we could make our way back over to the great hall. What do you say?"

"If my tactician commands."

Chrom quickly kissed the corner of Robin's mouth, hearing his pleasantly surprised "Oh!" once he had pulled away to stand and help the tactician to his feet. The two headed back indoors the way Chrom had come, and walked the corridors abreast, shoulders and hands comfortably close enough to occasionally brush. The prince stole a glance at his lover, at the way the trim and nature of his festival attire made his hair appear like snow, how the bright red of his coat brought out the rosiness of his cheeks. He couldn't even begin to remember much of what their celebration was like back in Ylisstol before he was summoned, but one detail remained vivid to him.

He was carrying a sack of gifts when he suddenly appeared in front of the summoning stone in Askr. Though this sack would later be used as a weapon, ironically enough, he had originally wanted Robin to carry it. He thought Robin seemed far more fit to offer gifts to people than he was; his demeanor was so much more calm and pleasant. Despite his amnesia, Robin was capable of displaying the strictest diplomacy when interacting with royals, yet he could also speak to Donnel and Nephenee in a way that made them feel comfortable, and even humored some of the younger-acting Heroes, like Fae, by playing with them. And here he was now, on the eve of the new year, just as gentle and jovial as the day he was summoned. How he was able to keep in high spirits, Chrom wasn't sure.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Robin asked with an arch of his brow. Before Chrom could divert his gaze and hide his blush, Robin's elbow was jabbing him playfully in the ribs. "You aren't even paying attention to where I've been taking you, have you?"

"I-I'm sorry. I was...lost in thought."

"I know. You've been lost in thought quite often as of late."

"Am I that obvious? It seems like almost everyone I know has noticed something."

"Well, that's because you don't usually think too much."

"Careful, tactician." This time, it was Chrom's turn to bunt Robin in the side. "Don't forget that I still possess Falchion."

"And you'd be surprised at what sizes of tomes I can hide in this coat. Now, look in front of you."

Chrom did, and what he saw made his jaw slacken. He was so fixated on his thoughts and on envying his lover that he didn't notice they had completely bypassed the great hall on their walk. They now stood in a foyer adjacent to the Ylissean barracks, one that Chrom had noted was quite a sight when he first arrived, with its high arched windows towering on either side of the room, some of which were delicately decorated with stained glass. The designs of the stained glass were pleasant enough, mainly depicting the Askran crest and rulers of old, but tonight they left Chrom speechless. Each of the windows was illuminated from the outside by magic, casting intermingling rays of colored light onto the floor and walls of the foyer. Chrom's widened eyes followed the lines and coils of light that had been drawn on the floor in bright reds, greens, blues, and many other colors. They danced along the foyer's space rug, up the walls and back down, creating a picture within the room. It was an array of vine-like curls and meandering fretwork inside of a massive heart.

The prince felt Robin's hand rest on his shoulder, and he immediately pulled the other man into a hard hug, clutching whatever fabric he could fit into his hands. He felt Robin gradually lean his head against Chrom's, could almost feel the smile that stretched across his lips. He pulled away, his eyes still wide.

"W-What is this for? Did you make this?"

"I've been practicing my light magic," Robin said, patting his coat, where no doubt a tome rested. "It's not much, especially compared to the other presents we've all gotten this winter festival, but do you like it?"

"It's breath-taking. But again, what is this for?"

"You've been lost in thought lately, so I thought I might try to cheer you up. Since this place leads to the Ylissean barracks, I thought, maybe something special would make you feel more at home here."

Chrom frowned. "You knew...?"

"I made an educated guess, and I'm assuming I was correct." Robin took one of Chrom's hands in both of his, bringing it up to face level and giving the back of it a warm peck. "You're Ylisse's Exalt. I can't imagine how much you must think about home. We all think about home, in fact. We've been here a year. Gods, who knows what could be happening in Ylisstol right now, what heresy might be taking place in Plegia, which Khan is currently reigning over Ferox."

Chrom laughed, a breathless sound, which surprised both of them. "Thank you for this," he sighed, bringing his free hand to Robin's face and brushing his bangs from his chestnut eyes. "I can hardly believe it. It's like you're reading my mind."

Robin leaned into the prince's touch as his hand rested on his jaw and his thumb drew gentle lines across Robin's cheek. "That's because I've had the same thoughts myself. And other members of the Shepherds as well, they all miss home, too. But for now, this is our home." He gestured to the foyer beyond. "We've been so blessed. Our barracks are spacious, and we've rarely had to go without food or training. Let's use this time, however much of it we may have, to make the most of our circumstances. A new year beckons in the coming day. Let's meet it head on, shall we?"

The prince did not answer, but instead pulled his lover close and captured his lips in a kiss. He kissed deep, but slow, taking his time to nudge his tongue into Robin's mouth and beckon the other's tongue to dance. Robin's hands had released Chrom's and had lovingly wrapped around his waist, allowing Chrom's other hand to roam and brush the familiar skin of his dear tactician. It tickled along Robin's neck, threaded through his hair and pressed their lips closer still until the prince feared a rush of warmth in his torso. It was a welcoming feeling, but now was not the time - _at least, not yet_ \- and so his hand subsided to instead gingerly cradle Robin's head between both of his hands, lazily and lovingly playing in the tactician's mouth until finally their lips parted and Chrom could feast his eyes upon the flush and bliss that had soaked Robin's features.

"So," he began, "shall we rejoin the feast?"

"I would love that," the tactician agreed.

Chrom hazarded another long look at the gorgeous light fixture Robin had made for him, then felt a gloved hand grasp his and begin pulling him along, so he followed. Robin walked with a subtle bounce to his step that Chrom couldn't help but grin as he watched. That is, until Robin spoke again.

"I wonder if there'll be any dessert left," he wondered aloud, and Chrom instantly felt his stomach lurch.

"Ugh, I think I'll pass."

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's been a while since I last wrote. Thanks for checking this little one-shot out! I really enjoyed writing last year's, and thought it would be nice to write one for this year, too. I was blessed with both of my last year Christmas bois, so that's another reason to celebrate.  
> Also, in case anyone is curious, the little light design Robin put together for Chrom was inspired by this piece of fretwork I found. [Here it is.](http://tjswoodshop.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Cherry_Heart_Frame.263192401_std.jpg) I think it's lovely~  
> Anyway, Happy New Year! Here's to what will hopefully be a wonderful 2019!


End file.
